FAQ

Why is TNR so important?

Put simply, TNR saves lives by reducing the homeless cat population and improving the quality of life for cats that must live outdoors. Spayed females no longer have to endure pregnancy and neutered males fight less, which eliminates behaviors that can cause injuries and nuisance complaints. During the TNR process, cats are also vaccinated, which reduces the spread of disease for both cat and human populations.

In order to fully answer this question, though, there are many facets to community cats and their place among us that must first be understood. Our friends at Feral Cat Spay/Neuter Project in Washington have explained it so eloquently that we’ve borrowed their answers to these Frequently Asked Questions:

WHAT IS A FERAL CAT?

The official definition of feral is, “living in a wild state after domestication”. We consider that feral simply denotes unsocial behavior toward people. Behaviors can be modified, and some feral cats become tame. Regardless of whether a cat loves people or fears them, any outdoor, unaltered cat reproduces and contributes to the homeless cat problem.

For the following Q&A, we will call these cats “free-roaming” to best describe what most people call “feral cats”, because free-roaming includes lost, abandoned, loosely-owned and stray cats in addition to “feral”. People feed and care about all the cats.

HOW DOES SPAY/NEUTER CHANGE THE LIVES OF FREE-ROAMING CATS?

Body condition is a reliable indicator of health, that is, a robust cat is a healthy cat. Scientifically conducted studies reveal that altered free-roaming cats gain weight after altering. This makes sense considering that females no longer endure pregnancy and raise kittens. The risk of uterine infection and mammary infection disappears after spay surgery. Neutered male cats stop vying for breeding and fight less resulting in a healthier lifestyle.

WHY DO WE CARE ABOUT CATS THAT AREN’T PETS?

No one questions that people frequently enjoy relationships with wildlife, whether they are bird watching or crouching near tide pools to take in the amazing diversity of life. We care about other creatures in our world even when they can’t be snuggled and many people bond with free-roaming cats and find great satisfaction in helping them lead healthy lives.

WHY DO WE SPAY/NEUTER CATS THAT AREN’T SOCIAL WITH US?

All unaltered cats contribute to the pool of unadopted kittens and cats euthanized in shelters every day. If we magically altered every free-roaming cat today, more would be born tomorrow. Tame cats are the original source of all free-roaming cats. The cats haven’t chosen their owners nor their social skills. For our purposes, whether a cat is tame, feral-behaving, shy, friendly, semi-feral, stray or something else, just doesn’t matter. We offer spay/neuter any of them, because it changes their lives forever.

HOW DOES ALTERING A FREE-ROAMING CAT SAVE THE LIVES OF SHELTER KITTENS?

A scientific study revealed that about 85% of pet cats are altered while only 2% of free-roaming cats are altered. Population projections estimate 33 million kittens/year come from pet cats and 147 million come from free-roaming cats.

Every time a litter is born, it lowers the odds that others will be adopted. Competition for homes increases. What happens to the kittens that aren’t adopted? You know. But with spay/neuter, fewer kittens are born, competition for homes is reduced and lives are saved through prevention.

ARE FREE-ROAMING AND FERAL-BEHAVING CATS SUFFERING?

Consider this: Think of an animal that finds shelter, finds food, avoids people, avoids or fights off predators and is more likely to die from natural causes than by euthanasia at a veterinarian.

Did you think of a free-roaming cat? Or did you think of a squirrel, raccoon, bald eagle or white-tailed deer? If living under these circumstances is inhumane, then one could argue that all wildlife is suffering. Simply because free-roaming cats have tame ancestors, does not mean they do not deserve to live or that their quality of life should be held to a higher standard.

Many people and organizations set a different standard for free-roaming cats than for other animals. They argue that any cat is better off dead than living a natural outdoor lifestyle. For example, they contend that a car may hit a free-roaming cat during its lifetime, therefore, a more humane approach is to trap and kill the cat before that happens. If we expand that logic, we would need to kill every bird, mammal, fish, and insect – basically all life forms, to spare them the suffering of a natural lifestyle. Why kill an animal living a natural lifestyle simply because it isn’t living a lifestyle with people?

IS HUMAN COMPANIONSHIP ESSENTIAL TO QUALITY OF LIFE?

Some people and organizations argue that any free-roaming cat without a human home should be euthanized, regardless of health. We emphatically disagree. Simply because a cat came from a tame ancestor is no evidence that human companionship is necessary for a humane quality of life. Lack of human contact or living without access to the inside of a human home is not justification for euthanasia.

DO FREE-ROAMING CATS DECIMATE WILDLIFE AND BIRD POPULATIONS?

Like so many issues, there are many studies with many conclusions. The inarguable reality is that people, not cats, have most significantly damaged the environment, habitats and ecosystems and have done far more to endanger and eliminate bird species and wildlife. Even at its worst imagined, the effect of cats on wildlife and bird populations is minute compared to the effect of people. To view the Top 100 most destructive species, go to Defenders of Wildlife at www.defenders.org.

WHAT IS THE POPULATION POTENTIAL FOR ONE FEMALE CAT?

The much-repeated quote that one female cat can produce 420,000 kittens in just 7 years is unbelievable and baseless. No science supports this projection, only hunches. Science disproves this projection by factoring in true birth rates along with newborn and juvenile mortality.

According to wildlife biologists, the reproductive and offspring mortality rates of free-roaming cats are similar to wild carnivores. One female cat averages six kittens per year and 75% of her kittens die before reproductive age. When using these criteria, math experts calculate that one female cat and her offspring will produce 100 cats in seven years, assuming that all adult cats remain alive for all seven years. Although still an overestimate, this figure is far less daunting and realistic.

ARE FREE-ROAMING CATS RESERVOIRS OF DISEASES TRANSMISSIBLE TO PET CATS?

A large-scale study published by the American Veterinary Medical Association proves otherwise. Rates of common, infectious diseases were similar in pet cats and free-roaming cats. In some cases, pet cats had higher disease rates than free-roaming cats. Because Mother Nature selects the healthiest animals, it is perfectly logical that free-roaming cats are very healthy.

ARE FERAL CATS MEAN?

From a feral-behaving cat’s point of view, they are the potential prey and people are predators. A healthy free-roaming cat will not stalk and attack a person. In fact, quite the opposite is true. Cats remain quiet and hide from view when unfamiliar people approach. When feral-behaving cats are caged at the clinic, they still try to hide. They don’t leap at people, growl, strike or hiss; they keep a low profile. However, if provoked or given a chance to escape, a free-roaming cat puts all its energy into defense. The cat understandably risks everything, biting and scratching to get away, as any animal would who is frightened. They are not vicious and mean, but will fight for their lives, if threatened.

WHERE DO FERAL-BEHAVING CATS AND PET CATS COME FROM?

A large scientific study revealed that free-roaming cats (tame, stray, feral and in-between) are largely responsible for the homeless tame cat population in shelters. Therefore, spay/neuter aimed only at the owned cat population will not sufficiently reduce shelter intake. Focusing widespread spay/neuter on free-roaming cat populations should make the greatest, most immediate impact on shelter intakes and euthanasia.

HOW MANY FERAL CATS ARE THERE?

No one really knows. At best, population totals are guesstimates, that is, estimates involving guesswork. One scientific study involved a telephone survey of a mid-sized community to determine the number of owned pet cats / household plus, whether free-roaming cats were also being fed and how many per household. Based on this data, a formula was developed to estimate free-roaming cat populations in communities: 0.5 cats/household using US census figures.

Data from scientific studies yield facts to reveal truths about free-roaming cats. A study of 2332 female cats revealed an average of 1.4 litters/year with litters averaging three kittens/litter. Approximately 75% of kittens died or disappeared by six months of age. Trauma was most common cause of kitten death when cause could be identified.

One recent study compiled data from seven groups in various geographic regions of the USA (including FCSNP) that involved 103,643 cats presented to TNR groups for sterilization. Intact female cats comprised 53.4%, intact male cats comprised 44.3% and the remaining cats were already altered. At surgery, 15.9% were pregnant with pregnancy rates peaking during March/April for all groups.

Regardless of latitude, from Hawaii to Seattle, kitten season was the same. Data do not support the perception of a persistent year round kitten season in any region. Only four out of one thousand cats were euthanized for poor health or debilitation. Unexpected deaths comprised only four out of one thousand cats (0.4%).

IS IT SAFE TO SPAY CATS IF THEY ARE IN HEAT OR PREGNANT?

Experienced veterinarians can safely spay cats even if they are in heat or at any stage of pregnancy. Typical veterinarians can safely spay cats in early to middle stages of pregnancy. More precautions are required as pregnancy advances.

ETHICS OF SPAYING PREGNANT CATS

Some people have ethical objections to pregnant spays. With millions of healthy cats euthanized in shelters every year for lack of homes, it is difficult to justify saving all kittens that are conceived when we know there are not enough homes for ones that have already been born.

The birthing process is also a risk. Some cats die from complications before or during pregnancy. If these cats are free-roaming, no one knows about it. Serious problems also can occur after queening, such as mammary infections, poor milk production, uterine infections and lack of maternal instincts. In addition, neonatal kittens born outside are especially vulnerable to disease, weather conditions, and predators.

CAN A NURSING QUEEN BE SPAYED? WILL SHE BE ABLE TO PRODUCE MILK AFTER SURGERY?

Yes and yes. Many lactating queens are spayed in clinics and they recover well. An experienced surgeon can work easily between the mammary glands. After being spayed, the mother cat continues to produce milk as long as kittens nurse her. Their nursing action is what stimulates milk production. Community cats who are currently nursing should be released back to their environment only when they are alert and moving around normally. For tame cats, it is recommended to wait until the kittens are 6-8 weeks old to spay the mother. This will ensure that the spay incision is kept clean and dry after surgery and is less likely to become infected.

WHAT IS AN EAR TIP?

An ear tip is the removal of about one centimeter of the tip of an adult cat's ear. (In Georgia, this is always done on the left ear.) This is a universally recognized, safe and humane procedure that is done while the cat is under anesthesia for spay/neuter surgery.

DO EAR TIPS HURT OR DAMAGE THE CAT?

Ear tipping is only done when a cat is under anesthesia so there is minimal pain and bleeding, and because of the small size and location of the tip, they heal extraordinarily quickly.

WHY IS EAR TIPPING IMPORTANT?

An ear tip is a visual indicator that a cat has previously been altered and vaccinated. Because feral cats can be difficult to get close to, the ear tip can be seen from a distance, which is essential for caregivers, neighbors, and volunteers trapping cats. Without this means of identification, cats can be subjected to re-trapping, transport, stress, and unnecessary anesthesia.

WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I FIND A CAT WITH AN EAR TIP?

If you find a cat with an ear tip, you should leave them where they are, unless they appear unhealthy/injured or in immediate danger. Studies have shown that the presence of cats within a community will prevent other cats from moving into the area. Additionally, cats provide valuable rodent control. Because ear-tipped cats have already been spayed/neutered, they will never produce more kittens, and their nuisance behaviors (such as fighting and spraying) will diminish. Even if you do not like cats, please leave ear-tipped cats where they are. They have an important job to do in your neighborhood.

Thank you so much to Feral Cat Spay/Neuter Project for allowing us to borrow this copy from their website.